The long-term objective of the proposed research is to find more effective treatments for obesity. Over 20 per cent of Americans are obese. Obesity is associated with increased risk for hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, and cancer (National Research Council, 1989). No treatment for obesity has yet been found which is effective for more than a small fraction of those treated. There is evidence that many obese have symptoms of food dependence, characterized by self-regulatory deficits in eating behavior. This may contraindicate selfmanagement approaches, the current state of the art. The specific aim of this study is to determine if a treatment based on a food dependence model is more effective than treatment based on a behavioral self-management model. A total of 240 moderately obese females will be randomly assigned to two 6-month treatment groups (N = 80 per group) or a waiting-list control (N = 80). The self-management group will receive behavioral self-management training. The food dependence group will receive therapy based on treatment for eating disorders, which assumes that self-regulatory deficits require cognitivebehavioral and peer social support interventions. All subjects will be contacted regularly over a one-year maintenance period. During treatment and the one-year maintenance period, mechanisms of change and relapse processes will be studied. Weight, social support, self-esteem, and symptoms of food dependence will be assessed at baseline, post-treatment and at one-year post-treatment follow-up.